Former Terrapin basketball star Lonny Baxter pled guilty last Thursday to delivering undeclared firearms through Federal Express and could face more jail time after serving two months last year for firing a gun near the White House.
Baxter, who was a key starter of the Terps’ 2002 national championship team, could face probation or up to seven months in prison, according to a sentencing recommendation agreed to by his lawyer and federal prosecutors. The crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.
“I expect it to be fair,” said Baxter’s attorney Richard Finci of the sentencing, scheduled for August 31.
According to the statement of facts, Baxter purchased three handguns and one rifle in Houston and shipped them to a friend in College Park in July 2006. He had another friend fill out the necessary Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives registration form, which is against the law. Baxter later retrieved the weapons from the friend in College Park.
In an official document filed in the United States District Court of Maryland in Greenbelt by federal prosecutor Rod J. Rosenstein on July 11 of this year, Baxter was alleged to have sent the firearms, “to a person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer and licensed collector.”
One of the guns included in the illegal shipment was a Glock handgun that Baxter fired off near the White House in August 2006. He was arrested by Secret Service agents and forced to serve two months in prison on gun charges.
Investigators in that case later traced the Glock to the illegal shipment for which Baxter now faces charges.
“I speculate that it was because they wanted to have a felony conviction so he could no longer own or possess a firearm,” said Finci on why authorities would go back and charge Baxter with a separate gun offense related to the same August 2006 incident.
Baxter, now 28, helped his European team Montepaschi Siena to the Italian first division title last season despite missing the first month of the season while serving prison time. Baxter averaged 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for Siena and is signed with the club through the 2007-2008 season.
After an illustrious four year career at this university, in which he led the Terps to their first national title, won NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player honors in 2001 and 2002, and placed second on the Terps’ all-time rebounding list, the Silver Spring native bounced around the NBA with stops in Chicago, Toronto, Washington, New Orleans, Houston, and Charlotte.
Contact reporter Aaron Kraut at sports@dbk.umd.edu.
